just got a 97 f350 lifted 6" and has 37" tires....I just had it aligned but I need the steering tightened up..alot! lol......I heard new heavy duty tie rods help this, and a red head steering box? is this sound like a good plan? all the balljoings and tie rods ends are tight now,. and I tightened up the steering box adjustment...
what tie rods are recommended? and any other advice on this problem I should look into?

second.......the rear fuel gauge is reading empty...the truck is getting fuel from the rear tank, and the switch shows the right reading off the front tank...anything I can check or is it something in the rear tank?

third...I have a little oil leak somewhere underneath the left side of the engine by the exhaust manifold and above the starter....I cleaned the engine, and put dye in the oil but im not picking up where the heck its coming from....it leaks down to the starter and rides down to the torque converter inspection plate....its dry above the manifold. any ideas...for the life of me I cannot narrow it down.
well....I think I found it....theres like a square head drain plug looking bolt sticking out of the side of the block, pretty sure its coming from there...what is it? lol

other than that its all good!

 

The first i cannot reply wouldnt know
The second one perfect time to do the harpoon hutch mod just replace the float assembly.
The third thing look in the engine valley aka (VALLEY OF DEATH) typical place to leak is the turbo pedestal and orings,hpop,&fuel bowl.

 

For the oil leak. It's def not coming from up top. Cleaned the whole engine and that's dry. Gonna take out that drain and put some new pipe tape on it and see what happens.

As for the steering. I need some sound advice on making it steer tight and controlled I don't want to throw money at it and not fix it

 

I forgot the hpo rail service plugs tend to leak ( on the back of the heads.

 

What type of lift does it have? I.e. springs only or rsk?

Check the track bar bushings and watch the linkages while someone moves the wheel back and fourth. Tie rod roll is real and you will want to do a search and some reading on that subject.

 

If you are replacing your steering linkage, go with MOOG only. Check your bushings especially on the track bar. What was done to correct the steering angle with the 7 inch lift? Drop pitman arm? Hi steer??

You can get your oil rail plugs here at RiffRaff High Pressure Oil Rail End Plug & Gasket for Ford 7.3L (94-03)

If you pull the plug and tape it, it will leak shortly after.... many have tried

Just an FYI- Oil leaks down the valley(typically from your turbo pedestal orings) and out the back drain hole on the passenger side of the block. This will appear as a rear main leak, or come down near the starter and appear as a VC leak

For the fuel tank you will have to pull and replace the sending unit... I don't understand the "right reads off the front tank" the selector is up or down, for front or rear. Never seen a left to right.

 

The fuel gauge has the correct reading for the front and shows empty for the rear....but what I mean is that the truck is still can get fuel from the rear tank


The lift is new springs and shocks with a longer pitman arm

 

Also. That's not the plug that's leaking. It's a square head plug that's right in the block above where the starter is located...I can't get a pic cause it's up out of the way

 

There's no reason to assume that the rear sending unit is bad. You will have to drop the tank (or remove the bed) and remove the sending unit / pickup assembly. But the sending unit may be fine, and it may just be that the float has a hole in it, and has filled with fuel. Easy enough to test. After removing the assembly, reconnect it, turn the key to RUN, set the tank switch on REAR, and move the float arm. If the gauge responds, the sending unit is good and the float is the prime suspect. You'll also likely hear fuel sloshing inside the float.

The plug that you describe sounds like the coolant drain plug for the right side of the block. Are you sure that's the source? It'd take some time, but could you remove the starter, so you can get a pic of the plug?

 

with a 7" lift you steering is going to be kinda chitty either way if all that was done was a drop pitman arm.

Ok well you are going to have to drop the rear tank and likely replace the sending unit, or the float is stuck.

This square head plug below?

 

No. Not that plug. It actually sticks out of the block. It's not flush. And has a actually square head. I hope it's not a coolant plug cause then I'm still on the hunt for the leak.

What's some fixes for the steering. I'm fine if I have to buy some stuff. Like a gearbox or I read about crossover steering. I'll take any advice

 

Damnit. I looked it up. It is the coolant plug. Now I still have no idea where it's leaking from. It's def not from up top. And it's acutall dry above that coolant plug. It's right around that plug area.

 

Agreed on the statement regarding the sending unit. I have yet to see a sunken float though and typically it turns out to be the 20 year old sending unit. Give it a test and see what you come up with. Dropping the tank doesn't take more than an hour, removing the bed is easy if you have a buddy to lift it with.

Hunh well I'm confused on the plug then, curious to see which one it is, sounds like the coolant plug?

 

Maybe you should pull the starter so you can see up there better to find the leak. But if the valley is dry and it isn't the plugs in the back of the heads, then I won't know where its coming from.

 

Yeah the plug I thought it was is the coolant plug....it might be those other plugs. I'll have to look.


Any ideas on the steering fix?